I recently went on a little road trip to check out a few properties I haven’t been to before with an eye to possible future bus tour destinations.
The first place I went was the Black Bear casino in Minnesota, which many of our clients have been to but we haven’t yet planned a tour there. I found the property to be very nice, the tower room was quite comfortable. I did have a problem with the bright lights illuminating the outside of the tower though, it was impossible to completely block them out at night despite using a table to try and keep the drapes closed. I understand they have other, older rooms in the shorter section of the hotel that likely wouldn’t have the same problem but they aren’t as close to the lobby which might be an issue for those with mobility problems. The buffet was alright, I found of the items were quite nice and some I didn’t care for but that’s to be expected with pretty much any buffet. The casino had a good variety of machines including some that hadn’t seen for a while, like The Pink Panther in Egypt. Gift shop was okay, and there are some good shopping options nearby including a Walmart Superstore in a nearby town and of course a number of stores in Duluth.
Next stop was the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino in Northern Minnesota. I really liked this property and I’m trying to think of what the right kind of group for it would be. It’s a little small and out of the way for a dedicated gambling tour, but the location itself is lovely. The casino is small and doesn’t have a huge variety of machines but it does have bingo and tends to offer some specials for Canadians. The restaurant was basic but good. One thing I was very impressed about with the hotel was that I accidently left my jacket in the room and they were kind enough to mail it back to me! The hotel room itself was quite comfortable, and I had a lovely view of the lake. Behind the casino/hotel is a very nice open area beside the water, and some walking trails to explore. The hotel has a naturist on staff and offers interpretive programs daily. In addition there’s a national monument close by, a trading fort very much like Lower Fort Garry here in Manitoba, which was very interesting to visit.
On the way home I stopped at the Amethyst mine just outside Thunder Bay and brought home some very nice specimens for the garden and my office.
